In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transmit coils are used to generate a magnetic excitation field that is selectively applied to the patient in the presence of a base magnetic field. The magnetic excitation field may be in the form of radio frequency (RF) pulses or various other pulse waveforms. To generate the magnetic excitation field, current is passed through the transmit coil. The current in the transmit coil (or a related voltage) is typically closely controlled to produce a magnetic excitation field having the desired characteristics. The current (or voltage) associated with the transmit coil can be measured directly with traditional sensing methods. However, due to space constraints associated with the MRI apparatus as well as electrical interference from other MRI components, direct measurement of the current in the transmit coil may not be feasible. Indirect measurement of the current may result in inaccurate measurement because localized interference and coupling effects from adjacent coils may not be detected.